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The Curse of Arrav/Transcript
Ali's Request *'Ali the Wise:' Ah, Player, there you are. I've been doing some research since we last spoke, and one of my contacts has found something very interesting. Would you like to go on a mission that would aid me in my work researching these mysterious Mahjarrat creatures? *'Player:' Yes, that sounds interesting. **'Ali the Wise:' Excellent. Now, one of my other contacts has been doing some exploring - he found an entrance to some tunnels. They seem to head directly under that plateau where Jhallan said the Ritual will happen. **'Player:' Are you sure these tunnels are related to the Ritual? ***'Ali the Wise:' Not entirely, but it seems quite likely. It doesn't look like these are naturally occurring caves - someone's deliberately tunnelled under that plateau. **'Player:' Did your contact explore the tunnels much? ***'Ali the Wise:' No, there appears to have been a number of cave-ins. He didn't have the mining expertise to get through. **'Player:' Where is the tunnel entrance? ***'Ali the Wise:' It's at the top of an area called Trollweiss Mountain. You'll have to pass through some ice troll tunnels north-west of Trollheim. ***'Player:' Ah, yes, I'm familiar with it. I've been tobogganing there. ***'Ali the Wise:' Really? It hadn't struck me as a tourist area. A bit too troll-ridden. You won't need a toboggan this time, anyway. The cave is right at the top. ***'Player:' Time for me to go to Trollweiss, then. ****'Ali the Wise:' Good luck, adventurer. I look forward to hearing what you find. **'Player:' Well, I must be going. *'Player:' Not right now, sorry. Confronting Arrav *'Player:' Arrav, it's me, Player. Are you able to talk at the moment, or does Zemouregal have too great a hold on you? *'Arrav:' Arrgh! I really don't wish to attack you, but my master compels me to. After hitting Arrav a few times. *'Arrav:' I am terribly sorry, but it is not I who controls my actions. Once Arrav's health is down to 75%. *'Player:' Arrav, I want to help you. Please try to fight against Zemouregal's control! *'Arrav:' If you go to the room to the south and look behind the...arrrgh...flame tapestry, you might be able to find something that can...arrgh...help both of us. My master calls. At last I can cease this battle! Good luck, Player. Returning to Nardah *'Ali the Wise:' Have you found the tunnel yet? *'Player:' Yes, I found some plans in them, too. I think they are plans of Zemouregal's base in the south of the Wilderness. I've been there before, but there's more of that area I've not been able to get into. I also found a key, which I think might help me get into the deeper chambers. *'Ali the Wise:' That does sound interesting! Shall we have a look at these plans, then? I always say it's best to be prepared before plunging blind into the depths of evil villains' hideouts. *''You show Ali the plans.'' *'Ali the Wise:' Hmm... there seems to be something on here marked as the heart of Arrav. *'Player:' Really? That sounds interesting. Arrav did say that these plans could help both of us. Maybe if I can find his heart I can help poor Arrav. *'Ali the Wise:' That sounds like a very noble quest. I think there might be a few significant problems in reaching the heart though. *'Ali the Wise:' Looking at the plans it seems that Zemouregal's inner base has state of the art secret hideout security. The corridor into the area is filled to the brim with human detection spells. These will set off the alarm. In the kitchen there is an entrance to a sewer system that runs under some parts of the base. Unfortunately, surges of energy are periodically sent through the water there. If the alarm is sounded, a gas will fill the area incapacitating all living things in the area. The vault door is made of five-inch thick runite-enforced steel, with a four digit access date. When the code is entered incorrectly more than twice, the alarm will be set off. Inside the vault there is a criss-cross of special fire ray enchantments that Zemouregal has made. Touching any of these will do significant damage and set off the alarm. *'Player:' Well, that sounds an awful lot to get past. It sounds like an impossible mission! *'Ali the Wise:' It does sound a bit of a challenge, but if we engage in a bit of cunning it may not be as impossible as you think. Now, let me think... The trickiest bit seems to me to be moving Arrav's heart while keeping it alive - unless you want to just put him out of his misery. *'Player:' If there is a way to save him without killing him that'd be nice, plus I'm sure he has lots of useful information. I've had experiences elsewhere with preserved organs of various sorts, too, which should come in handy. *'Ali the Wise:' Goodness, you adventurer types do get up to some strange stuff. So, do you have any idea how to move the heart? *'Player:' Not as such, but I know someone who might be able to help. I'm off to talk to a mummy. *'Ali the Wise:' Ooh; so your mother dabbles in that kind of thing. I see now. *'Player:' Yes, that's precisely what I didn't mean. No, I'm talking about an ancient pharoah queen called Senliten. *'Ali the Wise:' Ooh, right, that sounds like a good idea, too. Seeking Senliten's Help *'Pharoah Queen:' Greetings, traveller. *'Player:' I don't suppose you could help me? During my travels, I've run into a tricky conundrum I hoped you might be able to help with. *'Pharoah Queen:' State your questions and I will try to help where possible. *'Player:' I have found a place where a great hero's heart is being kept alive outside his body by magical means. I need to bring the heart back to the hero, but I am worried about killing him in the process. *'Pharoah Queen:' What you say is indeed strange. Let me think upon how this can have come about... Well, one can bind parts of a body while preventing the rest from dying. This renders the person an immortal servant. If the heart continues beating, this prevents the remaining person from having the 'spirit' that would otherwise compel them to fight against it. *'Player:' That sounds precisely like the situation I have discovered. The hero has been the slave of an evil necromancer for many centuries. *'Pharoah Queen:' I have heard theories of this practice, but it is very dark magic. The heart should stay in the body: it is not removed during the usual process of mummification. I did not conceive that anyone would actually do something like this to another. You live in dark times, traveller. *'Player:' Do you have any idea how I can set things right? *'Pharoah Queen:' This is a canopic jar, used for carrying organs. You will store the heart in this, but you must supply the preservatives that will keep the heart alive. You will need to first fill it with some sacred oil, then three dwellberries and finally a ring of life. *''The mummy hands you a canopic jar.'' Devising a Plan Once the jar is prepared. *'Ali the Wise:' Have you spoken to your mummy, yet? *'Player:' I have spoken to a mummy and she taught me how to make a special liquid to preserve the heart. *'Ali the Wise:' Intriguing... So, there's a liquid that can do such things. Well, that's one step dealt with. *'Player:' Great! Now what about everything else? *'Ali the Wise:' Well, I've had a little think about things and I think you're going to have to be inventive and resourceful, to an extent. *'Player:' Inventive? I thought people planned meticulously when raiding high security areas? *'Ali the Wise:' If you bring the correct equipment, you should be able to increase your odds of getting through. First of all you'll need some kind of insulation to protect yourself from the electric shocks in the sewer. Then you'll need to consider surveillance. *'Player:' Sir Veylantz? Is he one of the Temple Knights? *'Ali the Wise:' What? No, I said surveillance. Some way of remotely viewing what is happening in secure areas. Oh, and no great heist is complete with out the use of a rope and grappling hook. *'Player:' So, to summarise, I need some sort of insulated protection, some way of remote viewing, and a rope and grappling hook. I'll need a crossbow to fire the grappling hook, too. Then, I need to head to Zemouregal's base under the Chaos Temple in the south-east of the Wilderness. Mission Complete *'Ali the Wise:' So, how is the grand heart robbery coming along? *'Player:' I've done it, Ali, I've got the heart! I'm not sure what to do with it, mind you. *'Ali the Wise:' That is excellent news! Let's have a look at it. *''You hand the heart over to Ali.'' *'Ali the Wise:' Wow! This is really interesting - it's still beating perfectly. Well, you've done lots of hard work so far, I suppose it's my turn to do lots of research and figure out how to get this back inside Arrav, so that he can finally escape Zemouregal. *'Player:' That's very good of you. *'Ali the Wise:' It's the least I can do. Arrav is a great hero, after all. Anyway, we're making a great team. You've done really well. I feel we're making great progress bringing those nasty Mahjarrat down a peg or two. Transcript